Train-control system



2 SHEETS-SHEET J/wcntar R. F. HUDSON.

TRAIN CONTROLSYSTEM. A PPLICATION FILED OCT. 27, 1919. 1',387,400.- I Patented Aug. 9, 1921,

/ 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- resence; 3

UNITED STATES? PATENT omen mm, ensor, or R CHMOND, vm ni:

' Thain-contract SYSTEM.

T all 1071 0572, it may concern :1

Be it known thatiL Bonner FQHUnsoN, a

a citizen of the United Statesfresiding at Richmond, in the county of 'Henrico and State of Virg n a, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Control Systems of-which the following is aspecie fication reference being had gthereinl to the accompanying drawing. 1 M a This invention relates to improvements invention being the provision of a novel arrangement of ramp' and v ramp engaging mechanism whereby the source'of; energy is carried upon the moving vehicle and a closed circuit is maintained fatall times sofla s to lflCldBIlbYtllG driving wheels, this action by cause'no case of an open circuit and stop condition. g c r A further object of this inventionis'the provision of a novelarrangement-of a ramp and ramp contact whereby aj'rail sectionof extremeshortnessis used andone'which is;

readily installed and easilyup-kept ,A still further; object ofithis invention is the provision of meanswhereby a-gplurality of ramps are; connected insuch aimanner that the signal when. at danger will affect one rampiso as toproduce acretardation of speed, a second rampso as to produce a. further. retardation an'dja third ramp so asto bring the traintoa halt; this givingatapered or application stopping efl'ect instead of, venting suddenly the entire-system and causing damage tothe rollingstoclc a In the accompanying drawingsz Figure 1' is top p'lanQvieW of several blocks in a railwaysystemequipped according to and embodying the present invention Fig. 21s a side elevation of a locomotive? and the trafiic rail adj a'cent a ramp.

Fig. 3 is an enlargeddiagrammatic View of the train carried circuit and also a ramp rail adjacent thereto. i

Fig. at is an enlarged detail sectional view through the ramp rail and through one of the contact members, the contact member" being shown in engagement with the ramp;-

"is grounded to the locomotive and consequently to thetraflic rail. Thus when the rail.

dotted line showing therelative 'positionsof 'the flanged wheels of a locomotive and the track relay, which has under its influence" an armature 12 which is connected by means rangedas to not be engaged by showing Fig. 5 is a top planview of the ramp rail,

"specification of LettersPate ita P t nt 9 1 2 1'; animation-n e 0ctober 2 7,'1 819Q.;-Serial No. 833,784. r

tively. I

This ramp rail 16 or 16, practice to be of the conductor a and contact 6 tothe track 1 from; four to twelve feet long and is so positioned that the upper or contactedge 17 a 8 thereof will befslightly above and spaced from the'wheel engaging portion of the rail, the, blocks 18 ofoinsulation being so disposed as to, permit the snow and ice-and water to pass therethrough without. any tendency to short circuits orjbridging.

This ramp rail is so constructed and an 7 the flanged wheels of the locomotive and train but to be the driving wheels removing all frost and snow and ice that would adhere and thus insure a perfect contactvfor the shoe mem her, as will presently appear.

The shoe member is. preferably carried by the tender of: the locomotive as shown in Fig.5?! and comprises a supporting frame 19 having the auxiliary frame 20 which forms a support for the two shafts or spindles 21 of the spring projected caster frames '22; carrying the respective contact heels 23 two of'these being preferably employed; It will be noticed that each of'the Wheels 23 in cross section-has its'contact surface ta p ered; this being to permit of the .sameen gaging the contact surface 17 of the ramp V ra1l,:as shown in Fig. 4:, which 'inIturn elevates thebalance' of the surface of the'contactwheelfrom the "traific trail, in this shift-J ing the current flow from the locomotive circuit to and through the contacts 13 and 15 and the stick relay 12.

cThe apparatus carried upon the locomo-' tive includes the battery 25' which is connected at one side to both of the ramp-en- V gaging members 21,while on the opposite side the conductor 26 is ledto the cab relay 27 here shown as of a solenoid type, thecon ductor 28 being connected to the opposite side and led through the switch 29 where it contacts 23 are engaging the traflic rail a circuit to the solenoid 27 is closed, While the shunt connection through the conductors '30 and 31 .and the switch 29 maintalns the clear li ht or lamp 332 energized. T e

Vhen contacts 23 ride upon the frame and the stick relay12 is operated upon the i track relay 11, the current continues to flow to energize the solenoid 27 but is shuntedthrough the ramp 16, stick armature 12, back to the traflic rail through the conductor 13. relay ll is deenergized andthe stick relay 12 is open, the circuit to'the solenoid 27 and the light 87 will be opened and the lever 331 operated by the solenoid will in turn lower and open the switch 29 so thatevenupon the contacts leaving the ramp and engaging the track relay, the circuit will remain open and i the train be brought to a haltdue to the ventingofthetrain line through the valve 3a operated by the lever 33.

This valve is indicative of any form of means for venting the train pipe but it is desirablethat such'pipe be connected so as to prevent the engineman from taking control of the train, that is, itv must" be con nectedto preventthe air from the vmain reservoir entering into the train line pipe until the train is brought to a full stop and sufiicient time has elapsed to permit the trainman to take charge. P It is also possible to use in conjunction with this system a speed circuitcontrol device'which will permit the engineman to take charge of the train and proceed at a reduced rate until he enters a safety zone. In this form of apparatus it willbe seen that the ramp being an exceedingly short member it is readily installed on the railroads in an easier and cheaper manner and maintained at the-smallest outlay, the battery and all other apparatus being carried upon the locoinotive and necessitating no testing at the ramps to ascertain the workability of the system,

By using two contact wheels 23 it is abso-a lutely sure that proper connection will be inadein rounding curves and other places, as one wheel will check; on the other.

Two ram s 16 and 16 are here shown although not absolutely necessary butinsure If on the other hand the track the positive actuation of the present device as each ramp has the same effect as the other, therefore, when the ramp 16 is engaged itmay not be sufficiently long to produce the desired action on the vehicle,'so

, that by the time the ramp 16 is engaged the vehicle will be brought under control either in caution or danger to a slowdown or stop. If des1red, add1t1onal ramps may be employed in a similar manner.

WhatI claim as new is: r. 1. In a train control'system, the comblnation" with trafiic railsdivided into blocks,

a ramp rail disposed parallel to and spaced 1- from one of said rails, the tread surface thereof being disposed slightly above the contact surface of the traffic rail, and a contact shoe carried by a moving vehicle and including a surface for normally engaging the traffic rail andwhich when in engage ment with the ramp rail will be outof contact with the traili'c'rail;

2. The combination with a short ramp rail the contact surface of which is spaced from railbeing spaced from and slightlyabove the traffic rail and a vehicle carrying member comprising a contact surface disposed to normally engage the trafllc rail and to berail when held out of contact with the traffic engagingthe ramp rail.

In testimonywhereof I affix signature. I

ROBERT F. DSON'. 

